Emergency door lock release



NOV. 18, 1952 sc ss 2,618,498

EMERGENCY DOOR LOCK RELEASE Filed Aug. 4, 1949 4 Z ZINVENTOR. I %tMv4wM i fs.

Patented Nov. 18, 1952 UNITED STATES arses 2 Claims.

This invention relates to door locks and closures and has more particular reference to emergency release devices applicable to locks, hinges, or closures, used for cold storage chambers, large refrigerator chambers, refrigerator trucks and cars, and the like.

A serious condition exists because of the lack of satisfactory means to permit quick and effective opening of a locked door from the inside of a chamber, room or compartment to which the locked door is the only means of exit. This occurs when an attendant or other person is acidentally locked inside such a chamber or is so locked in as an incident to robbery or some other unauthorized act. Prior devices intended for permitting release of the lock mechanism by operation from the inside of such a chamber have been too costly, or they have been complicated and ineffective in their operation, or they have not been readily applicable to conventional lock constructions, or easily operated in cases of energency, or for other reasons they have not been satisfactory.

The principal object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide an improved door lock emergency release of the character described which will serve in a satisfactory manner the purposes intended.

Another object is to provide an emergency release such as described, characterized by its simple design, comparatively low cost of manufacture, ready adaptability to installation in a wide range of door and closure constructions, and adapted for quick and easy manipulation to effect lock release in the event of need for opening the door lock or closure.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved emergency door lock release reliable for the inside release of an outside self-locking door.

Other objects and atendant advantages will be understood by those skilled in this art as the invention becomes better understood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in

which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary and partly sectiona view through a door lock installation embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a face view of such lock installation, looking at the outer side thereof;

Figures 3 and 4 are perspective views of a part of the release device removed from the installation, showing the part in its normal locked position in Figure 3 and released in Figure 4; and

Figure 5 is a face view looking at the inner side of the installation shown in Figure 1.

My invention is applicable to any door lock, hinge, or closure mechanism which is applied to the outer wall or outer side of a chamber, room, or compartment for looking a door or closure in the closed position. My invention contemplates the provision of a mechanism or any part or unit thereof essential to the locking effect which is displaceable without unlocking from the outside, to thereby permit quick opening or release of the lock, hinge, or closure by means of an operation from the inside of such chamber, such inside operation being one separate and apart from the normal unlocking operation.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, the locking mechanism comprises bolt and keeper units, the keeper unit being so mounted as to permit of its being quickly displaced from its locking position, and a novel release device or structure is provided for normally holding this keeper unit in its operative position. This release device is provided with means manually operable in quick and. easy manner from inside the room. to effect displacement of the said keeper unit and thereby permitting free opening of the door. ihis refers to an emergency unlocking or releasing of a door by a person inside the locked chamber, room, or compartment, where the locking has been effected from the outside usually by a selflocking mechanism.

In this embodiment the wall structure is designated generally by H and the door by IE, it being understood that this wall structure may be for any chamber, room, or compartment, whether in a stationary structure or in a refrigerator truck, car, or the like. The lock mechanism. shown is conventional, comprising a bolt unit 53 fixed to the door and a keeper unit [4 fixed to the wall structure. In this mechanism the bolt I5 is operable by a handle It for unlocking from a keeper member ll and its roller 18.

In this embodiment of my invention the keeper unit Hi is so mounted that it may be quickly displaced from its operative locking position as, for example, by displacement outwardly in a direction perpendicular to the face of the wall. Such displacement will withdraw the keeper and its roller from the bolt and free the door so that it may be pushed open. Preferably the base plate [9 of the keeper unit M is attached by screw bolts 2| to a release plate 22 which is recessed in the outer face of the wall structure, or door J'amb, as shown in Figure l. The release plate is set into the wall structure so as to be capable of free displacement outwardly therefrom in an emergency operation to displace or withdraw the keeper unit and its parts lll3 from the bolt hi and consequently free the door for opening.

My invention provides a novel means for locking the release plate in position and for effecting said emergency release. This comprises a release rod preferably formed of two parts 23 and E i and a release device designated generally by 25. Ihe rod part 23 has a shouldered end suitably fixed to the plate 22 as by a, set pin 26 to prevent the rod from turning in the plate. This rod part 23 is internally threaded to receive the threaded rod part 24. The release rod extends through a bore or opening 27 and the part 24 projects beyond the inner wall of the door. This projecting portion of the rod part is shouldered at 28 and tapered to provide an outwardly diverging surface 29 of frusto-conical shape. The above mentioned release device 25 is mounted on this tapered surface. Said device comprises parts 3| and 32 hingedly connected together by means of a fiat spring member 33 which normally tends to separate said parts in the manner shown in Figure 4. A tapered socket 34 is formed in the meeting edge portions of the parts 3l32 complemental to the tapered surface 29. A suitable spring latch 35 hinged to part 32 is shaped to have snap engagement with part 31 to releasably hold the parts 3 I-32 in position on the tapered surface 29 of the release rod. A thrust washer and spacer 39 is interposed between the door and the device 25.

When installing the delease mechanism the rod part 24 is adjusted by means of a screw-driver in the slot 3'! to pre-set the projecting tapered portion, according to the width of the door. The thrust washer 36 and the release device 25 are then applied to the projecting end portion of the rod, the release device being set in the closed, locked position. The rod part 24 is then adjusted by tightening to move its tapered surface outwardly until such surface in its coaction with the release device forces such device against the washer and pulls the parts home. This final setting should be tight so as to hold the base plate 2?. firmly seated in the door recess and against outward displacement. In this normal locked position the thrust of the device 25 is against the washer 36 and inner side of the door and the opposed thrust is against the tapered surface 29. The base plate 22 is also held against displacement by a plurality of spurs 30 integral therewith which engage in the wall structure. This is the condition in which the door is locked, as shown in Figure 1. In the event of an emergency wherein it is desired to release the look from the inner side of the wall the person at such inner side simply releases the latch 35. This is effected by sidewise pressure against the upstanding end of the latch. This instantly causes the device 25 to spring open from the tapered end portion 29 in the manner shown in Figure 4, thus freeing the release rod so that it may slide outwardly and displace the keeper unit. The taper 29 aids in such opening and release of the device. Outward pressure on the door I2 will also so displace the keeper unit and the door is free. to be swung open.

The washer 35 serves to provide a firm thrust bearing for the device 25 and it also serves to pre clude the entrance of moisture into the rod bore and consequently prevents the formation of ice on the screw rod. This is, of course, a condition in refrigerator and cold storage uses. A further refinement is to provide a copper washer either alone or supplemental to the washer 36. An additional copper sleeve. may be formed to cover the tapered surface 29, thereby to further prevent any corrosion between the tapered surfaces and to aid in quick release of the device 25 from the rod.

It is believed that the foregoing conveys a clear understanding of my invention, and it will be apparent that because of the few parts and simple construction of the parts the cost of manufacture is comparatively small. It will also be apparent that my invention may be applied to many different forms of lock mechanisms, either to the keeper unit as in the present illustration or to the bolt unit, depending on the type of lock construction. Also my invention may be applied to a hinge construction instead of the lock mechanism, or to any displaceable door or closure construction for the purpose of permitting free exit from the locked chamber in an emergency circumstance such as herein disclosed. Another advantage of my invention is that it is readily adapted to wall structures of different thickness. Another advantage is in the functioning of the device in that the tapered surface on the release bolt serves the dual purpose of holding the parts in the operative condition and also of aiding in quick release of the coacting two-part release device when the latch is opened as in an emergency operation. Another advantage is that the device is so constructed that its release operation is simple and obvious and of a form which is reliable in giving the desired release effect. In the application of my invention it should be apparent that changes may be made in details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A door lock emergency release for use with a door and a Wall structure wherein a lock mechanism having coacting bolt and keeper units is employed for locking and unlocking the door with respect to the wall structure, the improvement comprising means permitting displacement of one of said units from its operative locking position including a, two-part release rod extending through said wall structure, one rod part being fixed to its unit and the other rod part having a .threaded connection at one end to the first mentioned rod part and having its opposite end projecting beyond the inner side of said wall structure, said projecting end having a tapered surface extending lengthwise of and diverging away from said inner side of said wall structure, a quick-releasable device mounted on said tapered surface and having thrust engagement with relation to said inner side of said wall structure when the second mentioned rod part is turned in its said threaded connection to hold its lock unit in operative position on said wall structure, said device being quickly releasable from said tapered surface to permit free outward movement of said release rod through said wall structure.

2. A door lock emergency release as set forth in claim 1, in which the quick-releasable device includes sectional parts hingedly connected together and releasable means normally holding REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 927,240 Hoffman July 6, 1909 1,037,010 Irons Aug. 27, 1912 1,193,148 Hornung Aug. 1, 1916 2,089,163 Hansen Aug. 3, 1937 2,415,587 Groeger Feb. 11, 1947 

